New Breed
by Una-Diosa
Summary: What happens when a group of people even more powerful than shifters comes to Carmel?
1. Foreword

HI! This is the insane person who wrote new breed...I am just warning you all right now...  
  
Even though I have a certificate that says I own Paul Slater, I really don't...Meg Cabot owns every familiar character that you see in this story...however The plot, Jake, Wraith, Damon, Artemis, Jessica, lackeys, the Akashic bloodline....Those are mine...So if you use them, please consult me first...  
  
I own Jake...and Artemis...lucky me Now shoo  
  
Yay...read the story you dolt. 


	2. A new acquaintance

"SUZE!"  
I jerked from my comfortable position on my bed as I heard my stepbrother Brad yelling right outside my door. "I'm leaving in ten minutes whether you're up or not." I sat bolt upright and almost killed myself trying to get out of bed. Godddamn these sheets. I swear, they are TRYING to end me. I don't know what I ever did to them...SO! Anyway, back to my superb lateness. I stumbled over to my dresser and after shifting through it, I pulled out an aqua green shirt made of a very cool and slithery material along with a pair of black jeans. I then rushed to the bathroom to change. Why you ask? Because I have a prude guy living in my room. I know what you're thinking, and he lives in my room in a completely non-pervy way. Well....what I mean is that he lives in my room because he was killed there. Yeah...you guessed it, the prude guy who was currently taking up residence in my room was a ghost. Do I still seem sane? I was in the procedure of trying to pull on my top while brushing my teeth, (way more difficult than it seems, I swear.) when I remembered something. Jesse didn't live in my room anymore. Oh yeah...but, oh well. At least I knew that he liked me back, maybe even, dare I say it...loved me? So, I was in a better mood than would be expected from someone who had until the day before believed that the guy she was totally head over heels in love with was moving out because he hated her. But, I was wrong about that, so....MOVING ON! I buttoned my pants and ran to my room, grabbed a nice comfortable pair of sneakers from under my bed, a pair of socks from my dresser and bolted downstairs. I was flying out the door and I saw that Brad was pulling out of the driveway. He glanced up at me and grinned evilly before he began looking behind him. I don't think he would have stopped if David hadn't grabbed the stick shift and jerked it suddenly. I ran to the car and stopped Brad from killing him before we headed off to another beautiful and glorious day at school. Not.  
  
I walked into the Mission right before the bell rang, earning a stare from Sister Ernestine. I don't know why she was growling at me; I got here on time didn't I? She just hates me, I swear. So, I headed to the morning assembly and sat down peacefully...for about thirty seconds.   
"Hello, Suze."  
I stiffened as his arm curled around my shoulder.  
"Hi Paul. Could ya stop touching me?"  
I heard Paul sniff as he moved from behind me to beside me. Damn. Why am I so attractive to this boy? I turned to face him.   
"Now, when will be meeting to discuss...erm, that one thing?"  
Paul chuckled softly. 'We'll meet at my house. Seven tonight. That good for you?"  
I shifted uncomfortably before answering.   
'Fine, but only for an hour, and we're not going in your room, or anywhere where there is a bedlike surface." Paul chuckled again. "You can trust me. I'll keep my hands to myself."  
I scoffed and scooted away from him.   
"According to my brain, I have heard that numerous times from you."  
Paul scooted back to his old position, meaning as close as possible to me and put his arm around my shoulder again.  
"Yeah, but I mean it this time."  
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I was just about to give up hope on a sexual harassment free assembly when I saw Adam and CeeCee walking in. I jumped up and quickly headed towards them. Yes! Safety! Adam noticed me first.  
"Suze! You are alive! I haven't seen you in two days! Mwah!"  
With that, he pulled me into a bone crushing bear hug.  
"ADAM! Ribs...need oxygen..."  
He laughed and set me back down. CeeCee was glaring at me. At first I thought that she was mad at me because I was getting attention from Adam...and then I remembered that I had abandoned her at the canoli booth. Oops. I grinned sheepishly at her and then held out my arms to her to see if she would take the bait. She glared at me a few seconds longer, then rolled her eyes and with a sigh, she began to hug me.  
"You're not getting off with deserting me that early, Simon. You still have to pay."  
I continued grinning and we headed away from Paul to find a place to sit. Yes! Mission accomplished. Assembly was, like always, quite dull and it was now time for me to head to homeroom. But, just my luck, Paul happened to be in my homeroom. Damn it. I headed to my locker, put in my combo, grabbed the books I would need for me next three classes, and headed for homeroom.  
  
Classes were very dull, and I was exceptionally glad for the final bell. I ran to my locker so I could put away my things. I had just deposited my books and papers when someone jabbed my shoulder. I turned around quickly, and saw my most favorite person in the world. Not.  
"What do you want Paul."  
He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around the hallway before answering.   
"You haven't forgotten about our, ahem...shifting lessons this evening, have you?"  
I shook my head.   
"I have not forgotten Paul. I will be there at seven."  
Paul looked me straight in the eye as if to check my sincerity.   
"How will you be getting to my place?"   
Oh crap. I forgot about that. Paul smiled and leaned one shoulder against my now closed locker. "I guess I'll be picking you up then. See you at seven."  
He began walking away, and I snapped out of my stupor quickly enough to realize that if I didn't hurry, I was going to miss all chances of a ride. I ran outside to the parking lot and looked for Brad's car. It wasn't there. I then began searching for Adam's VW. That, alas, was also gone. I heaved a great sigh and began walking home. Damn you Paul. I was still cursing him silently when the devil himself pulled up beside me.   
"I'm guessing that you need a ride?"  
I shook my head. "Guess incorrect, now shoo."  
He laughed. "Not this game again, Suze."  
I kept my eyes to the ground and continued walking.  
"Why are you so anxious to get me in your car Paul?"  
I could almost feel him grinning.  
"I think you can guess why, Suze."  
I looked at him. He was riding right alongside me with his head against the seat, one hand carelessly placed on the wheel, and his icy blue eyes focused on me. I quickly looked ahead, and began biting my nails.  
"Keep your eyes on the road, Paul. You're not going to follow me home again, are you?"  
I heard him sigh and the creak of his leather seats as he turned forward.   
"I will unless you get in the car."  
I simply gave a fake yawn and continued walking. I was just walking, minding my own business when there's this loud crackling noise and then a black rip in the universe appears right in front of Paul's car. A really cute guy suddenly ran from this odd rip in the universe thing, and straight into the car. He slammed both palms on it in exasperation before circling it to the sidewalk, and to me. I saw him reaching in his pocket as he ran right towards me. He was a couple of inches from me when he pulled a wicked looking knife from said pocket and froze. He suddenly turned and looked at Paul, who was staring at him with his hand in his hair; He then turned again to look at me. When I said cute, yeah...I was wrong. This was a full blown hottie. A ghostly hottie. He had light brown hair that was cut in the normal surfer style, dark skin and amazing blue eyes, (nowhere near as blue as Paul's though.) He was staring at me for about ten seconds before there was yet another crackle sound and he turned to look where he just came from. There was another void forming in front of Paul's car. This time, a girl came out. She calmly stepped out as the thing closed behind her, glanced around, and zeroed in on the ghost guy standing in front of me. The guy's eyes widened in fear and then he began to run, but the chick was faster. She began running after him and took a running leap, landing on him and knocking him to the ground. She pinned him there with her knee and was reaching for something hanging from her hip when the dude grabbed her knee and pushed her off. She did a cool somersault like thing before landing on her feet and turning back to face the dude. He had already gotten up. He was standing there looking very scared. She ran towards him and then served him one with her fist. He flew back a few feet, but she had disappeared in a flash of smoke and was now behind him. She kicked him behind the knee and then clasped her hands high above her head and brought them down, but the guy had already moved. Her blow hit him in the side instead of on the head. She stumbled back and he punched her. Her head snapped to the side and she punched him back. He was obviously very clumsy because he stumbled back a few steps and then fell right on his butt. The girl walked forward, and she was again reaching for her hip while wiping blood away from her lip with the other. When she was standing right above him, she pulled a sword, yes, a freaking sword, out and after quickly positioning it above him, jabbed it down into the guy's chest. The guy twitched a little and then was enveloped in blue tendrils of energy. The girl pulled out the sword and stepped back as the guys burst into flame and burned into nothing. The girl put her finger to her lip again and squatted down to examine the burn mark on the ground. She waved her hand over it a couple of times and it disappeared. She then gouged her sword into the ground and laid her forehead against it, breathing heavily. I snapped out of my stupor and ran over. Her head was facing down, so I couldn't see her face, but I kneeled beside her. I heard a car door open and shut and knew that Paul was coming over as well. Her black hair was plastered to the back of her neck with sweat. It hung about as long as mine and she was wearing an all black body suit that looked like it was made out of leather. I could see her shoulders and her upper back and they were both covered with sweat. I was about to touch her and ask if she was all right when she jolted up out of my reach and said in a very breathy voice,   
"I'm fine."  
I stood up as well and almost gasped when I saw her face. She looked almost exactly like me. She had the same nose, same lips, but her eyes were way different. For one thing, they were large and almond shaped when mine were always a little bit smaller than I would have liked. They were also an amazing mix of bright blue, grey and a beautiful green. She glanced at me and then her eyes widened. There was a trickle of blood going from her lip again. She wiped it and then in a quick motion she sheathed her sword. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and I heard Paul gasp behind me. She glanced at him and then her eyes went back to me as she put out her hand.  
"Call me Wraith. I expect we'll be getting to know each other well."  
I grabbed her hand and shook it quickly.   
"Susannah Simon and Paul Slater, now do you mind me asking what the hell that was?"  
She smiled a little bit and took her hand away.  
"That was a warrior specifically sent for me."  
Paul still had his hand on my shoulder as he walked out from behind me.   
"What, to kill you?"  
She gave a small chuckle as she looked herself up and down to survey the damage. She then held out her gloved hand to Paul as well.   
"I only wish."   
He cocked his head at her as she pulled her hand away and began patting the dust off of her suit. It still looked like leather, but it had odd designs molded into it. It looked skintight and not very comfortable. She was smiling again.  
"It's called V.P, and it's a lot more comfortable that you'd think. Very easy to move in."  
I gaped at her. Had she just read my mind?   
"You were staring at it. I figured that you either wanted it, thought I was a complete slut, or was wondering what it felt like. I chose choice three."  
I bit my lip and felt myself turn red. She was done getting herself clean and the warrior dude was obviously gone, so I wasn't very surprised when she began walking away. I was about to call out to her when she turned around and gave an odd left handed salute.   
"I'll be seeing you, Susannah...Slater."  
She materialized into a drift of smoke. I heard Paul gasp beside me.  
"How did she do that?!"  
I turned to see him staring determinedly at the spot she was last standing. I patted him on the back and began walking towards his car.   
"I believe I will take that ride home, Paul."  
He stopped looking for his answers and walked to the driver's side. He hopped in without opening the door and after pulling on his seatbelt, he sped away. We didn't talk the whole car ride, and when he pulled up in front of my house, he simply looked at me, said,   
"Pick you up at 6:30."  
and pulled away when I got to the front door. I ran up to my room and collapsed on the bed. "Hello Querida."  
I smiled into the pillow before turning onto my side.   
"Hi Jesse.'  
He smiled that oh so sexy Latino smile and came over to sit on my bed with me  
. "How was school Querida?"  
"Well, school was boring like always but the most amazing thin happened when I was walking home. There was this ghost and then there was a girl who looked a lot like me and she was fighting him and then she pulled out this freaking sword and stabbed him and she was wearing this amazing outfit and she like totally read my mind..."   
Jesse was staring at me with the most amazing look on his face. I slowly stopped talking and then he chuckled, "I think that I caught four words out of all that." I smiled sheepishly and started over, slowly this time. When I finished the whole story, Jesse just looked at me. 


	3. Fun in the courtyard

"She looked like you Querida?"  
I nodded.  
"Almost just like me. Only she has black hair and her eyes were bigger and a different color."  
Jesse curled his arm around my shoulder.  
"She may get you in trouble, Susannah. Things could get dangerous."  
I thought about it for a minute. He was right, she seemed to be very used to beating up and then stabbing the ghosties. But she had also said she'd be seeing me, so I'm guessing I really didn't have a choice in the matter anyway. Just then mom yelled up the stairs for dinner. I disentangled myself from Jesse's arms and grudgingly headed downstairs. It was a good dinner of steak and mashed poatatoes. I was almost able to finish the whole plate too, except that Brad decided to grace me with a vision of the chewed up steak and mashed potatoes in his mouth. Heavenly, I swear. Not.  
  
I figured out the next day why Wraith had said she would be seeing me. I was in homeroom, desperately trying not to meet Paul's stare, when the door opened and I heard the teacher's voice,   
"Oh goody. You must be Miss Costel. Take a seat."  
I looked up and saw Wraith. She was in V.P. again, but it wasn't the same suit, it had different designs. Her hair was pulled up into a sloppy ponytail and her hands were again gloved, but the fingers were cut off of this pair. I saw Kelly and Debbie glaring evilly at her from across the room. I looked at Paul, he was watching her too. Much like when Paul had come, I was right next to the only empty chair. She sat down and turned to me.  
"Hello Susannah. Nice to see you again."  
I smiled at her and then she glanced over to Adam and CeeCee. CeeCee, being CeeCee, held out her hand and said in her business voice,  
"Hi, I'm CeeCee, this is Adam, what's your name."   
She took the hand with an approving nod and shook it quickly.   
"I'm Wraith. Nice to meet you."   
CeeCee smiled at her and put her hand back down.  
"So, Wraith, how do you know Suze? Are you her cousin or something? You guys look a lot alike."   
Wraith glanced at me quickly,  
"I met her yesterday. Bumped into her, you could say."  
Adam looked at me kind of suspiciously, but then turned back to the teacher to at least pretend he was paying attention. By the time lunch had rolled around, I was dreading what Paul was going to do. CeeCee and Adam had decided that Wraith was acceptable as a friend, so I knew that she would be sitting with us, but I didn't know if Paul would find that as a good reason to sit with us as well. Apparently, it wasn't, because he stayed at the other end of the courtyard.   
"So, is Wraith your real name, or just a nickname?"  
Wraith looked at Adam skeptically,   
"It's a nickname. Not many people know my real name.'  
Adam put down his food and licked a bit of ketchup off his finger.  
"Oh really? What is it then? Scouts honor says I won't tell."  
She smiled a little.   
"Point one, I highly doubt you were ever a scout, and Point two, it would only confuse you anyway."   
Adam gave a huff of indignation.  
"What? Do I not look smart enough to be a scout? And why would it confuse me? Is it like twenty letters long or what?"  
She laughed at the look on Adam's face and it looked like she was about to answer when Debbie and Kelly strolled up to the table.   
"Suze, who's the freak?"  
Wraith began glaring at them.   
"If by freak, you mean me, then I am your worst nightmare. Now, shoo before I bite you."  
I heard Adam snort as Kelly sneered at her.  
"What's that supposed to mean freak?"  
Wraith smiled and then abruptly stood up.   
"It means that I am about to mar your perfect skin."  
She grabbed Kelly's arm, twisted it behind her back, and then bit her shoulder. All motion around us stopped as Debbie, (yes Debbie, not Kelly.) screamed. Wraith released Kelly and then wiped her mouth. Kelly quickly spun around and then glared at her.   
'You bit me!!!!"   
Wraith laughed and then sat back down.  
"You really are an idiot aren't you?"  
I heard a collective gasp around the courtyard.  
"I distinctly remember me saying, 'Shoo or I will bite you.' I gave you a warning."  
I saw Adam and CeeCee collapsed on each other in silent laughter. Kelly grabbed the spot on her shoulder where Wraith had bit her and then huffily walked away. Adam stopped laughing and looked at Wraith with tears in his eyes.   
"You, my good lady, are my hero."  
CeeCee was still having convulsions with her head on the table. I looked around and saw everyone staring at her in awe. She looked away from Adam's adoring gaze quickly and gave the same left handed salute she had used the day before. A couple minutes later, a very amused looking Paul Slater joined us at our table. He took a chair, turned it around, and then straddled it.   
"Um, Wraith...Did you just bite Kelly?"  
She rolled her eyes over to Paul and began biting her nail.   
"If Kelly is the blonde one, then yes, I just bit Kelly." 


	4. A hand in friendship

He laughed and extended his hand.   
"I offer my hand in friendship."  
She eyed it for a moment before taking it and shaking it quickly.   
"Friendship offer taken, Slater, now shoo, or I'll bite you too."   
Paul looked at her with surprise.   
"You can try."  
She turned her chair towards him and leaned down with her elbows on her knees.   
"I will try and succeed."   
Paul glared at her.   
"You wouldn't dare."  
She grinned at him.   
"You wanna bet? I've handled worse than you Slater."  
He stood up.  
"Try."  
She stood up and jumped at him. He attempted to push her away, but she squatted down and kicked his legs out from under him. He fell straight on his back with a large grunt and she straddled him to the ground.  
"Still want to doubt me Slater? "  
Adam was standing and leaning over the table to stare at the attraction. Paul looked at me and attempted to raise his arms. She put his arms under her knees and crossed her own over her chest.  
"Say mercy."  
He continued to look at me.  
"Help me Suze."  
I shook my head.   
"Oh no, this is way entertaining."  
He looked back at Wraith.  
"Okay...mercy. Now please get off."  
Wraith grinned again and then obligingly stood back up. Paul slowly sat up. Wraith put out her arm to help him up; he glanced at her warily before taking it. She jerked him up and he ran into her, ramming her into the table. He quickly stepped away and sat back down in his chair. She flicked him in the head.   
"That hurt retard."  
He grinned evilly. Wraith sat back down...upside down. Yeah that's right, she sat down with her butt on the back of the chair and her head hanging off of the end where your legs normally go. I saw Adam plotting on the other end of the table, but I didn't find out exactly what he was plotting until he began to reach for her feet, (Which were clad in combat boots with a buckles that looked suspiciously like sheathes for knives.) I was going to stop him, but it appeared that she was already aware of the problem.   
"Mctavish, you touch me, I'll kill you."  
He drew his hand back as if her legs were on fire. She laughed heartily.   
"I knew you'd see it my way...and what are you staring at Slater?"  
I looked at Paul, and surprise surprise, he was actually staring at her. Oh yay! Maybe now he'll stop stalking me! He turned red and looked at the ground. I heard CeeCee snicker. That my friends, was the end of an oh so entertaining lunch period.  
  
When school ended that day, I was putting my stuff in my locker and I had just closed it when I found Wraith just standing there looking all scary. I only jumped a little. I swear...shut up. She cackled a little bit.  
"Want me to drive you home, Suze?"  
I had fully gotten over my heart attack by now, so I graciously accepted. At least now I wouldn't have to deal with Brad trying to see if he can suffocate me and Doc by blowing farts and not allowing us to roll down the windows. (Yeah...he does do that. Poor me, huh?) She twirled a key ring on her finger and nodded towards the door.   
"Shall we go?"  
I smiled and walked out of the Mission. I was looking for any car that didn't seem really familiar, but soon found that this was useless, because Wraith had already stopped right beside a motorcycle. A big, black and green motorcycle with two helmets chained to the back. She used a key off the key ring to unlock the chain and then threw a red helmet at me. I hastily caught it as she began wrapping the chain around her waist. Once she had locked it so it hung low on her hips, she climbed on the bike and began to slip on her black helmet. She then patted the place behind her. I could hear her muffled voice through the helmet.   
"Get on Suze, I'm not psychotic, I won't crash."  
I pulled on my helmet and then sat down behind her. She chuckled and then revved the engine three times before putting her legs up and letting us take off. When we paused at the next red light, guess who was in the car beside us? Of course, Paul Slater just had to see me on a motorcycle. Oh! Wait, I'm wearing a helmet. Oh...never mind.  
"Hey Slater, care to have a bogey race?"  
I almost hit Wraith. She had put up the visor thing on her helmet and was revving her engine again. Apparently he had realized who was behind Wraith on the motorcycle, because he spoke to me.   
"Would that scare you Suze?'  
Me, being a stubborn little brat, had to answer in the typical Suze way.  
"Nothing scares me Paul!"  
He laughed and looked at the light...just as it turned green. Wraith and I shot forward like a freaking lightning bolt and left Paul in the dust. We were soon approaching the next stoplight, (Which was about four miles away, I might add.) When we got there, it was still green, but Wraith stopped anyway. About a minute and a half later, Paul pulled up. Just as the green light switched to red. Wraith pulled off her helmet and took out her ponytail. She looked at the black hair band for a while before throwing it at Paul.  
"Here Slater...Pity prize."  
He glared at her while she laughed good naturedly. She then turned to me with her hair whipping me in the face.   
"Sorry about that babe, now where do you live."  
I quickly gave her directions and she slipped her helmet back on as the light once again turned green. She took a right turn and then began to speed up. I was getting worried.  
"This isn't the way to my house!"  
She yelled back without even a tremor in her voice,   
"We're taking a shortcut."  
She turned down a deserted alley that we were about to pass and suddenly I felt an amazing weightless feeling. This lasted for about ten seconds and then I felt myself landing hard. We were on the street to my house. I gasped as she pulled up in front of my house. I jumped off and yanked off my helmet, not even wanting to imagine what my hair now looked like.   
"How did you do that!!!!!?"   
She had pulled off her helmet as well. She laid her head on the handle bars or whatever they were and sighed.   
"I'm Akashic...I'll explain sometime okay, but right now, you're going to have to explain to your step brother why you're home before him."   
I turned and saw Brad's piece of crap car pulling into the driveway. He jumped out and ran over to where I was standing.  
"How did you do that! I didn't even see you on the way here."  
I looked back at Wraith. She just shrugged.  
"We took a shortcut."   
Brad looked around me to eye Wraith warily. She simply gave a small salute and said,  
"Hullo Brad, see you later Suze. We'll talk, I promise."  
She then put her helmet back on, gave that left handed salute again, and drove away. 


	5. A new word

When I got to my room, it was empty. That disappointed me, because A. That means that the love of my life wasn't here, and B. I really wanted to ask Jesse if he knew what the hell Akashic meant. Apparently that wasn't an option at the moment, so I just curled up on my bed and attempted to recreate that feeling of flying I had gotten when we were taking that 'short cut'. I couldn't quite do it. I stopped attempting and got up so I could do something productive, like paint my nails. I was searching through my box of nail polish bottles trying to find the right one when I stumbled on it at the very bottom. It was black. I had gotten it to be a wicked witch for Halloween. I got my nail polish remover and got rid of my current candy apple red. I then began layering on the black. When I had done both hands, I lay on my bed and took a nap so the nail polish could dry properly. I woke up to Adam yelling up the stairs.  
"SUZE! Come eat!"  
I launched myself from bed and ran downstairs, having not eaten much at lunch...Shut up! I was distracted! Leave me alone! Yeah, so back to Andy's dinner. It was hamburgers and fries that night. I was about to take my first bite when I was rudely interrupted.   
"Susie, why are your nails black?"  
I looked at my black fingernails set against the pale hamburger bun and then up at mom. "They...just are."  
Brad chose to collaborate.  
"Are you trying to copy that one girl? Her nails were black too."  
I wondered for a moment who he was talking about, and then it hit me. Wraith.  
"When were you close enough to her to see her nails Brad?"  
He looked at me as if I'd sprouted a wing from my face.   
"Hmmmm...let me see, when she dropped you off at our house today?"   
Oh yeah...smart one Suze. Mom chose to take an interest.  
"What girl are you talking about?"  
Brad chose to answer instead of me...her friend.   
"New girl at school. She bit Kelly."  
Mom gaped at him.   
"She BIT someone?"  
I started to laugh a little, remembering the look on Kelly's face, and I burst out laughing entirely when I remembered the look on Debbie's. Mom averted her gaze to me.  
"Are you friends with this girl, Susie? Why on earth did she bite that girl?"  
I calmed my self down enough to answer.  
"Well, Kelly was making fun of her and she wouldn't leave us alone."  
Mom just shook her head.   
"What's her name?"  
I swallowed before answering. (Yes, I had actually begun to eat now.)   
"Wraith."  
Mom let her fry drop from her mouth.  
"Wraith? Her parents named her Wraith! No wonder she's so violent."   
I swallowed again.   
"Wraith is just a nickname mom, she hasn't told anyone her real name yet."   
Mom raised an eyebrow, but she didn't push the subject. Thankfully, it wasn't my turn to do dishes, so I just headed up to my room after the meal. Mom came up not too much later. "Honey, that girl you mentioned...Wraith was it..."   
I heaved a sigh. Mom and her worries.   
'She's not evil mom. Kelly was being downright mean and rude to her, so she said to leave her alone, they wouldn't, so she bit her. Not very hard though."  
Mom sat down on my bed with me.  
"Honey, it's just that this girl seems to be very violent..."  
I cut her off quickly before she could deny me the right to see her.  
"Mom, if you met her, would you chill out?"  
Mom bit her lip and looked as if she was considering for a moment.  
"Well...it would help."  
I smiled in relief and then ushered her out.  
"I'll see if she can come over tomorrow night, okay?"  
Mom nodded just as I closed my door.   
"Who was she talking about, Querida?"   
I turned around and beamed at Jesse.   
"Just a girl at school. Say Jesse, I was wondering..."  
I sat down on my bed while Jesse took his customary seat by my window.  
"Yes Querida?"   
I quickly arranged myself in a comfortable position facing Jesse.   
"Do you know what Akashic means?"  
Jesse pondered for a moment.  
"No, I believe that is Latin...Why do you ask Susannah?"  
I kicked off my shoes and stretched.   
"You know that girl I told you about yesterday, the one who looked like me? Well, I saw her today...I asked her how she could dissolve into smoke like she did and she said she was Akashic. I was just wondering if you knew what that meant."  
He shook his head.  
"I am sorry. When you find out, do tell me. It intrigues me."  
I closed my eyes and I was half asleep when I answered.   
"Okay Jesse..."  
When I went th mission the next day, I had a mission.(A/N...Mission in the mission...sorry, it tickles me.) Visit Father Dom. When morning assembly ended, I muscled my way to the principal's office. When I walked in, father Dom was reading a rather large book. He looked up when I knocked on the door open beside me.   
"Oh! Hello Susannah, please have a seat."  
I sat in the uncomfortable chair that was always directly in front of Father Dom's desk.  
"Now, what is your purpose for coming, Susannah? I sincerely hope you're not just trying to get out of class..."  
"Father, what does Akashic mean?"  
Father Dom trailed off and looked me hard in the eye.   
"Where did you hear that word Susannah?"  
Wow, Father Dom looked weird.  
"That doesn't matter, now what does it mean?"  
Father Dom sighed and then closed his huge book.  
"Akashic is the Latin word meaning 'The Spirit', or 'The Divine'. There is a group of people who, much like mediators, can see the dead, but they also have amazing mental capabilities. They can also...well, transport themselves from one place to another."  
I stopped playing with the pen I had stolen from his desk.   
"Like what kind of 'amazing mental capabilities'?"  
Father Dom sighed again.   
"Say...the abilities to read minds, summon vast amounts of energy, telekinesis...that sort of thing. Now, Susannah, I really must insist that you tell me where you learned of this."  
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Should I tell him? Would Wraith kill me if I did? Naw, she seemed easygoing...most of the time.  
"Wraith told me that she was Akashic."   
Father Dom cocked his head in a very Paul-ish way.   
"Wraith? Who is Wraith?"  
I should have known.  
"Wraith is a new girl in my class. I saw her two days ago, she was able to like...disappear in a flash of smoke and I'm pretty sure she can read minds and..."  
Father Dom cut me off.  
"She's in your class? I will be talking to her...now, you may go Susannah, unless there's anything else you need?"  
Man, I hate how he does that! With a quick shake of the head from me, he shooed me out. When I got back to homeroom, Wraith, CeeCee and Adam were waiting at the usual table. Ten minutes into the class, a note arrived for the teacher. When he had finished reading it, he motioned at Wraith.  
"Miss Costel, Father Dominic would like to see you."  
He quickly wrote out a pass for her and she gave me a confused look before she went up to get it and walked out the door. Another ten minutes passed before there was another delivered. This time though...  
"Miss Simon, father Dominic would like to see you as well."  
CeeCee gave me an odd look as I went to get my pass. When I once again walked into Father Doms office, I saw Wraith standing behind the door with something glowing brightly in her hand. I took a closer look and saw that it was purple fire. Yeah...PURPLE FIRE! Father Dom was sitting in his normal chair with an odd look on his face.   
"Susannah, please convince Miss Costel that I am not dangerous."  
I looked back at Wraith, who was staring at me expectantly.  
"It's okay Wraith, he's good."   
She closed her hand and the purple fire simply extinguished itself. Now that was cool. I took the same pen I had been playing with earlier and began to chew on it. Father Dom looked at me irately, but it was as though he was still scared of Wraith, because he didn't keep his eyes off of her for very long. She came to stand next to me in the chair. She was playing with her hair. Father Dom cleared his throat.   
"So, um...Miss Costel, now will you tell me how to pronounce your first name?"  
I heard Wraith chuckle.  
"Sorry, I have trust issues...Um, my name is pronounced Mel-lie-ranth."  
I looked up at her. She has that amazing name and she tells people to call her Wraith? Wow, issues.  
"I do not have issues Suze."  
Oh...yeah, she can read minds, probably shouldn't do that. Father Dom was giving us a weird look, but he continued.   
"So, Melyranth, I am convinced that you were not being untruthful when you said you were Akashic, now... I would simply like to know how you found out that you were in fact Akashic, it is not a very common subject."  
Wraith shifted uncomfortably,  
"My adoptive parents, they could tell about me at the orphanage. They taught me everything...and yes Father, they are Akashic too."  
Father Dom jerked back startled, but I was a bit busy computing the information she had just given. She was adopted? What happened with her real parents? Father Dom questioned Wraith for a while longer and I was busy looking at the reflections in the black of the pen when Wraith startled me by placing a hand on my shoulder. "Father, I realize that I fascinate you, and I'll be happy to talk with you later, but lunch is in ten minutes, may we get back to class please?" I looked at father Dom, who was checking his watch. "Of course Meliranth, you may go. Goodbye Susannah." I stood up quickly and almost fell right back down again because my leg had fallen asleep, but Wraith put a strong arm around my waist and hoisted me up.  
"Hurts don't it, you're gonna be sore all day, I bet."  
Sadly enough, I think she was right. We didn't even bother going back to class, we simply went out to the courtyard. When everyone began filing out, we simply waited until Adam and CeeCee walked out and waved them over. Apparently, someone took that as an invitation. I was just about to open my mouth when Wraith got to it first. 


	6. Guest for dinner

"What do you want Slater?"   
Paul looked offended.   
"I thought we did the whole 'hand in friendship' thing! And you should really call me Paul."  
Wraith chuckled.   
'Oh yeah...well...okay, what do you want Paul?"  
He made a mock scowl and began digging in his pockets.  
"Here's this back."  
I looked and saw that it was the black hair band she had thrown at him the day before. She laughed.   
"Don't you remember? It's a pity prize, keep it. I can always get another one"  
Paul just motioned for her to grab it. She heaved a sigh and then held her hand out, and moved it just as he was dropping it. It fell to the ground and she stared at it for a few moments before walking over to Adam and CeeCee, where she promptly jumped on Adam. I heard him shriek and then maniacal laughter from Wraith. Paul was bending down to pick up the hair band. Seeing that he was busy, I walked over to join Adam, CeeCee and Wraith at an unoccupied table. Wraith was sitting upside down again, and CeeCee and Adam were having a tickle war. CeeCee was sadly losing. I sat in the empty chair by Wraith. She was staring at something behind me. I turned around and saw Paul staring at me.   
"He feels very strongly for you."  
I sighed.  
"I am well aware of that."  
Wraith swiveled her eyes to meet me.   
"I am guessing that his feelings are unreturned, and unwelcome."  
I looked at her. Her bright eyes were piercing mine. I quickly looked back away. I saw Kelly standing at the other end of the courtyard.   
"Oh! That reminds me, do you want to come over after school?"  
I heard shifting besides me.  
"Sure, I'll just call to tell Mae that I'll be late."  
I turned to see her reaching into the pocket of her baggy black pants. She dialed and then put the phone to her ear.   
"Mae! Hi, I'm going to my friends house when school ends. Suze Simon...Yeah, I'll call you. I'm taking my bike, you won't need to get me. Ok, talk to you later. Bye."  
She pushed the button and then slipped it back in her pocket.   
"It's all right. We'll drive there on my bike."  
I nodded, because anything would be better than a ride home with Brad.  
  
When classes ended that day, Wraith was waiting by my locker. She waited there as I put away my books and when I had slammed my locker, I again followed her to her bike. She did the whole take the chain, wrap it around her waist and throw me the red helmet and then motion me to the back of the bike thing. I hopped on and we sped off. We actually rode all the way to my house this time, no 'shortcuts'. We still arrived before Brad though, because although we did take the long way, Wraith could go a lot faster than Brad could. When we pulled in front of my house, I was ready to just walk in, but she stopped me.   
"Where should I park my bike?"  
I turned and saw her pointing at it. I just motioned to the driveway.  
"No one will mind if you park it there."  
She nodded as she pulled up. I tossed her the helmet and she took off hers and again chained them to it. We then walked side by side into the house. I pulled her up into my room. She took a quick glance around before heading directly towards the window seat.   
"I like your room."   
I plopped down on my bed.  
"Thank you, but my mom designed it."  
She shook her head laughing.   
"I can tell that, but the mess, the unmade bed, the cat...well, okay, not the cat, but it just seems very...you."  
I turned red. Did she just call me messy?   
"I bet your room isn't any better."   
She laughed again and laid down.   
"Indeed it is worse, and it too is very me-ish. That was not meant to be an insult Suze."  
Man, she talks funny.  
"I do not. I simply speak differently from you. Better than when I'm in kick ass mode. I'm even more formal then. No fun words."  
I didn't question her on what she meant by kick ass mode. I had experienced it the first day I saw her, she had acted a lot more distant.  
"You think I'm distant now?"  
Man, she should really stop doing that!   
"Sorry, just you keep going into silent fits. I have nothing better to do then."  
"Sorry. I don't mean to have, uh...'silent fits'. I'm just thinking."   
She laughed again.  
"No, I shouldn't entertain myself that way. I'll stop, for now."  
At that, I heard a door close downstairs and heard mom yelling up the stairs,   
"SUZE! Come and help me and Brad take care of these groceries!"  
I was about to tell Wraith to wait for me up here, but she was already out the door. I heard her bounding down the stairs and then Brad.   
"What are you doing here?"   
"I'm feeling loved."  
"Be nice Brad."   
I reached the kitchen by then. Mom was putting away a couple of cartons of milk while Wraith was grinning victoriously at Brad.  
"There's more food in the car Susie."  
Wraith turned away from Brad, grabbed my arm and we ran outside to my mom's Lexus. The trunk was open and stuffed with bags of groceries from King Soopers. As we were both walking back with four bags each, Wraith started talking.   
"Why do you think they call it King Soopers? I mean, there's not a King there, and they spelt super wrong...do you think that they're just retards?"  
I had never thought of that before...and it made me think really hard. So hard that I didn't even notice that we had carried all of the groceries in. I was just about to walk back to the car when Someone put a hand on my shoulder.   
"Suze, the trunk is empty."  
I turned around to see Wraith having a laughing fit.  
"Okay, no more unanswerable questions for you. They're obviously not good for your brain." Mom was grinning. Wraith got herself under control and began putting stuff away with me. It never registered with me that she shouldn't be having that much ease putting things away in our kitchen.   
"How do you know where everything goes?"  
I turned around to see mom eyeing us suspiciously. I was about to ask myself, but it appears that I didn't have to.   
"Rufus's kitchen was just like this. Plus, I just saw where something was and remembered to put more of it in the same place."   
Mom was still looking at her oddly.  
"Rufus? A friend of yours...?"  
"Oh, no. His real name is Richard. I just call him Rufus. He was part of my second adoptive family. One of those people who wants a child but doesn't realize that he's not ready for a bratty nine year old yet."  
Mom stopped looking at her oddly and went into overly cheery mode.  
"So you're adopted? How many times have you been adopted?"  
Wraith was being just as cheerful.   
"Four times. First Family, same case as the second. Third family got me when I was eleven. Their real child said I scared her. Don't know why. And then there's Mae and Jack. They got me three years ago when I was thirteen. So far they've stick with me the longest. They're the best too."  
Mom seemed to be pleased with the fact that Wraith was no holds barred on her life.  
"What about your biological family?"  
Wraith froze and I saw her stiffen a little bit. I turned to look at mom, who looked totally aghast. "I'm so sorry dear, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." I heard Wraith sigh and she turned around.  
"It's all right. My real family was...incredibly abusive. They fed me just enough to keep me alive, they wouldn't let me leave the house...I was taken into protective custody when my father...he carved the word FREAK into my back with a pocket knife."  
Mom and I gasped at the same time. I had no idea that she had gone through this! Why did she not tell me this?   
"Why on earth why would someone do such a thing! Especially to their own child!"   
Wraith chuckled and wiped her nose.   
"They were messed up people. They thought I was a devil child because I was the only child to be born with black hair, and they thought I had eyes 'Possessed by the Devil.' I learned what hazel meant when I was seven."  
Mom was staring at Wraith with her eyes wide and her mouth open.  
"I am so sorry dear..."   
Wraith lost her aura of sadness.   
"Don't be. It's not anyone's fault but theirs. The only thing I'm sad about is that Mae and Jack only found me three years ago."  
By then, all of the groceries were put up. As we were walking back upstairs, mom stopped us. "Um...Wraith is it? Would you like to stay for dinner?"  
She turned around and nodded enthusiastically. Mom smiled at her and walked back into the kitchen. When we got back into my room, Wraith slumped on the window seat and I went to my bed. I began thinking of the correct way to say it...   
"Did that really happen to you? I mean...can people really be that bad?" 


	7. Damon

Wraith stood up and turned her back on me. At first I thought that I had insulted her by asking, but then I saw her lift up her shirt a little. I gasped as I saw thin lines of scar tissue spelling out the word FREAK in the middle of her back. She quickly pulled her shirt back down and resumed her place on the window seat. She began chewing on her nail and looked at me.  
"I'm so sorry, Wraith..."  
She held up her hand to cut me off.  
"About what? There's nothing you could have done about it."   
I was about to answer when there was a familiar shimmer on the other side of the room.  
"Hello Susannah...oh...I see that this is a bad time."   
Wraith chuckled and began to arrange the pillows behind her so she could prop herself up. "Naw, stick around Fabio. We could have fun times yet."  
Jesse gave her the most awkward stare I have ever seen on his gorgeous face and then turned back to me.   
"Um, Susannah...who is this?"  
I shifted uncomfortably but I found that I didn't need to answer.   
"I'm Wraith. Pleased to make your acquaintance."  
She held out her hand and Jesse warily took it. Wraith pumped it vigorously and then joined me on the bed. Jesse was still eyeing her as he sat down on the window seat that was probably still warm from Wraith's butt.  
"I am Hector De Silva, but you can call me Jesse...I believe that Susannah has told me about you. You taught her a new word..."   
Wraith raised her eyebrow at me.  
"I would think that Suze doesn't meet too many people who call themselves Wraith, so I assume responsibility for teaching her a new word. I believe you speak of 'Akashic'. She found out what it means earlier today."  
Jesse nodded and then leaned forward.   
"This subject intrigues me, would you mind explaining it to me?"   
Wraith spent the next hour explaining all over again what she had told Father Dom earlier in his office. When she was done, Jesse looked like a small child who had just been given a toy. "Now, Susannah also told me that you were having a fight with a ghost a few days ago, what was this about?"   
"No offense Jesse, but A. That wasn't just a mere ghost, and B. I would like to keep that information on a need-to-know basis only, okay?"  
Jesse nodded and was about to speak again when I heard Andy downstairs.  
  
"Suze! Come eat!"  
Wraith made the salute to Jesse and then we both walked out of my room and down to the kitchen to have another one of Andy's amazing dinners. We had this really good Mediterranean pasta salad.  
"So, um Wraith...Brad told us that you're a new student...when did you move here?"  
Wraith finished chewing her mouthful of food.  
"I moved here from New York three weeks ago. I just started because we were getting the house set up and school trolling. I really like the mission, the principal rocks,"  
She snuck a glance at me before continuing.  
"I'm really lucky that Suze, Adam and CeeCee think I rock too or I'd be all alone."  
She grinned at me and took another bite of food. Andy nodded approvingly and then he too continued to eat. When the meal was over, Wraith helped clean up and then ran upstairs with me.   
"I need to get my jacket and then I'm going home, okay Suze?"  
I nodded and she began searching for said leather jacket. When she found it, she pulled leather gloves out of the pockets, slipped them on, hugged me and ran downstairs. Wow, I feel very loved when my guest literally runs from the house. I followed her quickly and caught up as she was unlocking her helmet.   
"We'll talk tomorrow. See you."   
She slipped on her helmet and I heard her shrieking maniacally as she burned rubber down the residential street.  
  
When I entered homeroom the next day, Wraith was actively conversing with CeeCee. When I walked over, I was immediately met with an unanswerable question.   
"Suze, did you know that Wraith has the best name ever and she refuses to use it?"  
Wraith was smiling bemusedly as I asked myself the same question.  
"It confuses people even more than my nickname does, and if it really bothers you Cee, you Adam and Suze can call me Ly."   
CeeCee grinned eratically as said Adam walked in.   
"Adam, you have to call Wraith Ly now."  
Due to the confused look on Adam's face as he sat down, I elaborated.   
"Her real name is Melyranth and she wants us to call her Ly now, but only us, so slap anyone else you hear calling her that."  
Adam grinned idiotically and gave the same left handed salute that had now become synonymous with Wraith...Ly...whatever. I looked at said confusing person and she was grinning and looking at Adam with an almost loving look on her face. Uh oh, she better not be hot on Adam, CeeCee might try and kill her. Obviously, CeeCee had seen the look, because her voice rang out in the silence of early morning homeroom class.   
"So Ly, how's your love life?"  
Ly's face immediately lost all traces of humor. She turned to look out the window, and heaved a sigh.   
"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't ask about that, okay CeeCee."   
She had an odd look on her face and it was amazing how she could be so quiet, yet we heard her so clearly. Her voice was breathy and sad. CeeCee looked almost ashamed of herself. By then, people had started filing in for class, so she just left it alone. That was the most extraordinary thing to happen...at least until three classes later in Algebra. Ly was in this class with me as well, and it was going smoothly until about ten minutes in when there was a knock at the door. A pimply guy of about twenty walked in with a single red rose.   
"I've got a delivery here for a Miss...Ly Costem."  
I saw Ly snap out of a trance in the back of the room.   
"It's Costel."  
The guy blushed furiously, and I really couldn't blame him. She had been in a bad mood all day and her voice could freeze you up. Plus, she just so happens to be a knockout, a fact that was not even remotely hidden in a black and purple lace up shirt with a pair of cute baggy black pants and elbow length black fishnet gloves. She stood up to grab the rose and the guy dug in his pocket and pulled out a plain white card. It had one word written on the front, in red looping cursive.   
Ly...  
With a shaking hand, she set the rose on her desk and then opened the card. Her eyes flicked across the page and she began trembling horribly. She turned paper white and dropped the card. She then started breathing hard and walked swiftly out of the room. I jumped out of my seat and ran to the fallen piece of paper. I opened it and saw the same red cursive writing out one simple sentence.  
  
Someone who is like you suffers for you...Do you hear the screaming?  
  
I crunched it up in my hand and threw it into the trash as I ran after Ly. Judging by the confused hall moniter to the right of me, I judged she had gone towards the courtyard. I broke into a jog and got out to see her heading towards the Mission Cemetery.   
"Wraith!"  
Oops...forgot the whole Wraith/Ly thing. Oh well, doesn't matter now. I began running to catch up with her, and almost fell over her when I found her collapsed in the middle of the path right around a turn. She was hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. Every now and then she would let out a dry sob and squeak. I huddled down next to her and attempted to look her in the eye.   
"Wraith! What is it! What's wrong?"  
She looked at me and then all of her composure came back. She glanced around quickly and then stood up, dragging me with her as she headed deeper into the cemetery. When we were completely shrouded by trees at the grave of one 'Hector De Silva', (Yeah, I know, ironic.) She turned to face me.   
"It's Damon. He's resorted to kidnapping...Oh God, this is all my fault..." She began pacing around the grave as I went through my memory to see if I knew who Damon was. Turns out, I don't.  
"Um, Wraith...who's Damon?"  
She stopped pacing and slumped down to her knees. She ran her hand through her hair and a spasm of pain flicked across her face. I was about to ask why, but she started talking first. 


	8. The Manor

"Damon...well...Damon is an ex-boyfriend of mine...You know what it's like, meet a cute guy, he seems nice, caring...understands you...he's like you in a very important way. The second I met him, I thought that I had met my soul mate, he told me he was Akashic too...Oh I was such an idiot!"  
She slammed her head against Jesse's tombstone and then continued.  
  
"One night I found him beating up a girl, a ghost, but a girl nonetheless...He saw me and he sort of shimmered away, taking her with him. Ten minutes later, he came back and attempted to explain himself. Said he was a bounty hunter, there was a number on her head. Said that people paid him to find things for them...powerful tools, mystical creatures, ghosts they have some issues with, sometimes even living breathing people. They would pay him with money sometimes, but most of the time, they would grant him a new ability or power. I told him we were through, never to speak to me or come near me again...the next day, I was asked out...and the night of our date, they found him dismembered in his room with the words, "Mine forever" written on his wall in blood...It was Damon. Mae moved us to a new apartment in NY, but he followed us...sent lackeys he had picked up over the years to try and bring me back...eventually it got so bad that we moved here. The first time I met you, that was one of those lackeys...now he's kidnapped someone...probably torturing them relentlessly...just so I will give him my life for theirs...Goddammit!!!"  
She slammed her head against the tombstone again before jumping up.   
"Suze, I have to go...I need to get that rose so I can track him and then I need to save whoever he's got. Can you get that rose for me? Bring it to me out here at lunch?"  
I nodded vigorously and she walked me back to the courtyard.   
"I'll be waiting here..."  
I waved and walked back inside. By that time, there was only about ten minutes left in algebra, so I calmly walked in, took the rose, and then casually sat down in my seat. I got an odd stare from the teacher, but he's old and probably senile so he left it alone and continued talking. When lunchtime rolled around, I ran out to the tree that I knew Wraith would be hiding behind. I rounded it and she snatched it from my hand. I was about to make a sarcastic comment about rudeness, but she muttered a low sorry and then began concentrating on the rose. About thirty seconds later, she looked up.   
"An old packaging warehouse about thirty miles away..."  
She glanced around, and when she saw that no one was around, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Five minutes later, she poofed back.  
  
"Shit! Shit shit shit! He has a barrier spell! He'll know if anyone smokes within a two block radius. I'll have to ride out..."   
She started biting her nail and then walked out from behind the tree and started heading across the courtyard. She was about halfway across with me ten feet behind her when Paul calmly blocked my path.  
"Hey Suze, where have you been?"   
"Leave me alone Paul, there's an issue..."  
I stopped as he grabbed me and pulled me out of hearing distance.  
"Don't tell me it's another charity case you're taking on...I've told you a million times that you don't have to do that..."  
I slapped his hand from my shoulder and began looking for Wraith. She was muscling her way through the courtyard and towards the parking lot.   
"Get off me Paul, it's not that...WRAITH!"   
With that I ran off towards her, she was now stepping onto the sidewalk that would lead her to her normal parking spot. I caught up to her just as she ran into Father Dom, who had obviously been looking for her judging by the look of relief on his face.   
"Melyranth, I am so glad to have found you, now what is this I hear about an episode in class?" Wraith stared at him for a few moments before removing his hands from her shoulders.   
"Father, I respect your worry, but I have bigger things to worry about right now. Good bye." She then sidestepped and continued walking to her bike. I reached it just as she was putting the chain around her waist. I grabbed the red helmet and then slipped it on. She turned to me and frowned.   
"No Suze, I won't be able to live with myself if Damon hurts you. Stay here."  
Of course I, being Suze, immediately argued.  
"I can take care of myself. I won't let you go alone! That is suicide..."  
I saw Wraith glance behind me. Her frown deepened.   
"I suppose you'll be wanting to go too...Go away Slater, and take her with you. I don't need any more on my conscience."   
She then slipped on her helmet and sat down. I sat down behind her as she pulled away. I heard Paul's voice yelling behind me, but she didn't slow down, even when there was a red light, she would just wind through the traffic and pull ahead. After about fifteen minutes of this, she pulled up in front of a large wrought iron gate. She walked up to a large speaker and pressed a red button.   
"Jake! Let me in! I need some supplies!"  
The gate started to slowly creak open, and as she was walking in, I heard a car skid to a stop behind us. I turned around to see Paul's silver convertible. He was jumping out and attempting to undo his seatbelt at the same time. I heard Wraith sigh and then she pushed the red button again. "I've got two visitors that will be staying here for a while. Will you take the proper measures?"  
I heard a crackly   
'Yes'  
, and then she waved us in the gate. We walked through a heavily wooded area on a thin trail before there was a large clearing and I saw the most awesome house ever. It was about three times the size of Paul's house, (which is saying something.) there was a large stone staircase with a statue lion leading up to the huge oak door. She bent down and pulled a large key from her shoe. When she straightened, I saw that it was really huge like the ones they use for castles. She stuck it in the key hole and then threw open the door, (I probably would have sprained something even attempting that...) and walked in. I gasped as I walked into the main hall. It was done in this cool black paint that had a purplish tint, and the floor was white. There was a fountain and two stairways leading in opposite directions. She headed towards the right one and started running up, leaving me and Paul to try and keep up. When she reached the top, she turned right and headed down another amazing hallway. When I had counted nine doors, she stopped and waited for us to catch our breath. She then threw open these doors as well, and I almost had to shield my eyes. The room was done in bright red, and on the wall directly on front of us were thousands of weapons. Swords, Katanas, crossbows, knives...She walked over to a wardrobe in the corner and threw it open. There were shelves with those strange V.P. outfits on them. She pulled one down and then walked back to the door. "Stay in here...I'll be right back." She was right back too, but she had changed into the outfit she had just taken and put her hair back. She walked over to the wall with all the weapons on it and started taking things down. She took a sword sheath and strapped around her waist, and then began tucking knives into the straps on her boots. She then took a knife holster and strapped it around her right thigh. She then went to the other side of the wall and grabbed a large sword, putting it in the sheath she had just acquired, she then grabbed a crossbow, and about fifty bolts, tucking them into slots on the holster on her thigh. She then took another of those holsters and put it on her upper arm, and then slipped a small dagger in it. Apparently she had forgotten that we were there, because when Paul spoke, she gave as close to a jump as she's likely to get.   
"Um, exactly how does that sword get rid of ghosts?"   
She pulled it out and looked at it.   
"Point 1, that wasn't exactly a ghost, and Point 2, this is a spelled sword. Amonch..."  
She put her hand on the base of the blade and it began to glow, and then tendrils of blue energy swarmed from the hilt to float around the blade. She nodded her head and all of the tendrils shot into it and the blade stopped glowing. Paul looked stunned, and I'm sure that I did too. Wraith hadn't changed her facial expression though. She simply sheathed her sword and then started tapping the bolt that was in her crossbow against her leg.   
"Bye, I hope to be seeing you soon."   
With that, she attempted to walk out the door, but she wasn't counting on Paul picking her up to stop her, or attempting to. Wraith grabbed his hand and squeezed, I heard Paul groan, and then he let go. She turned around to face him.   
"Were you expecting to risk your life by going with me?"  
Paul looked at her oddly.   
"I can handle a few ghosts, Wraith."   
She pushed her bangs behind her ear and sighed.   
"Their not just ghosts, Slater, and Damon is even worse than that. He'll kill you on sight just because you enter with me."  
He cocked his head...  
"Who the hell is Damon? And why would he want to kill me?"  
Wraith simply shook her head and walked out the door.  
"JAKE! Get over here!"  
A guy about our age with shoulder length white hair and green eyes did the smoky thing and appeared right in front of her.   
"You rang, Wraith?" 


	9. Taking a bolt

"Step aside. We need to get her medical attention, and if you're standing in the way, you are ending her life and pissing me off, now get...out...of...the...way."   
I looked at Jake and saw that he had a look of pure hatred on his face. His bright green eyes were burning with hatred and he was clutching Wraith even tighter. It looked as if Damon was going to fight, but suddenly, Jake threw his arm back and punched him in the nose. Damon gloved hands flew up to his face as Jake waved his hand at him. Damon was visibly swept off the floor and slammed into the wall. Jake clenched his jaw and began walking outside. When he got there, he tossed a set of keys to the guy who Wraith had jumped in front of.   
"You can ride, follow us back on her bike. We'll get you fixed up at the manor."  
He then carried Wraith to the hummer, opened the passenger door and set her down before smoking to the drivers seat like he had done before. Paul and I were barely in the car before he pulled away. He drove like a maniac and amazingly got back to the house with the weapon room within ten minutes. He opened the gate, got Wraith out of the car, and ran into the house. The second he got into the main hall, he began yelling.   
"Mae! Jack! Help me! Wraith is hurt, she needs to be healed!"  
There was a double dose of smoke as an elderly couple poofed in front of us. The man took Wraith from Jake's arms and then smoked again. The woman turned to Jake.  
"Who are these people? Tell me what happened."  
Jake began to explain what had happened at the warehouse, and then he began to point at all of us.   
"These people are Suze, Paul and...Artemis."   
I stood flabbergasted...and then remembered that he could do the whole poof thing and he threw Damon with his mind, so he must be Akashic as well...Well, there are a lot more of them than I thought. The woman, Mae I was assuming, turned to me and smiled a little bit.   
"Hello, I believe that Ly went to your house the other day."  
I nodded and then saw Jake looking desperately up the left stairway. Mae saw this and gave a heartwarming smile.  
"You may go to her. Do not bother Jack, do not attempt to heal her. We have not fully taught you that skill yet."  
Jake gave a small nod and disappeared up the stairs. Mae turned back to us and began to motion us around the fountain, and to a wrought iron door that was set at the center of the two stairs. She pushed us through it and we entered an amazingly large room. The walls were a crimson red with gold accents, and the couches were big and black. There was a black throne-like loveseat that Mae sat in. Paul, Artemis and I sat on the black couch in front of her. We just sat like that for about ten minutes, and then Jake appeared on the couch next to me, which only scared me a little, I swear...Shut up. He put his elbow on the armrest and cupped his forehead in his palm.   
"She isn't looking all that good Mae, I'm going to sit with her tonight. Now, what are we going to do with him?"  
With those last words, he jerked his white blonde head towards Artemis. Mae chuckled at his antagonistic behavior.   
"He can stay in one of the guest rooms as long as he wants."  
Artemis beamed at her and then slumped on the seat with his eyes closed. I heard Jake groan. "Oh great, he's passed out. I'll take him to the dark room in the west wing, all right Mae?"  
Mae smiled at him as Jake reached behind me and Paul, grabbed Artemis' shoulder, and they both disappeared. Mae then turned to us.  
"Suze, Paul, I believe you should head home now. You have means of transportation, don't you?"  
"Yes. Suze will ride home with me."  
I glanced at Paul, he was smirking at me. How dare he assume that I would ride home wit...oh crap...I have no other way to get home. I was trying to contemplate how far I would have to walk to get home when Mae interrupted me.   
"Susannah, if you need it, Jake will get you home. He needs to get away from the house more anyway."   
I nodded enthusiastically, not caring that Mae had probably read my mind to realize how much I needed a different way home. Precisely when I was rejoicing on how wonderful Mae is, Jake once again scared the living shit out of me by appearing on the couch next to me with no prior warning. When I had stopped hyperventilating, Jake had obviously either read my mind as well or had a psychic conversation with Mae because he simply turned to me and said,   
"We should go now, It's getting kind of late."  
I heard Paul huff, but I didn't care as I followed Jake out to the Hummer. He opened the door for me, poofed into the drivers side, and then took off. He never asked where to go, so I assumed that he had already pried that information from my brain. While we were driving, my mind finally clicked on something.   
"Jake, you look like you're Wraith's age, why don't you go to our school?"  
Jake chuckled and made a left turn.   
'I do now. I can't risk Damon sending another note like that and getting her off, I almost lost her today. Plus, she'll be needing help with her new injuries..."  
I stopped dwelling on the 'I almost lost her' part of his speech and grabbed on to the last statement.   
"I thought there was only the, ya know...arrow thing."  
He shook his head and stopped at a red light.  
"Damon apparently got playful. There's extensive bruising on her stomach, back, ribs and around her neck. He always does this to her..."   
the light turned green and he put the pedal to the metal.   
"What do you mean, he always does this? Has he beaten her up before?"  
"When she left him and he killed that guy who asked her out, she went to him on a guilt trip, trying to revenge the guy. He did even worse, she was in a coma for two weeks. That's was the first time we moved, This was last year...we moved to the manor a little over three weeks ago, it's all done up with barrier spells, wards, protection...the works, so he can't get to her, but if he can make her come to him..."   
We were getting very close to my house by now. I looked at Jake and saw that he had a very sad look on his face.  
"He says that he loves her, yet he finds no guilt in hurting her...that's not love...that's something sick and twisted and wrong..."   
"You love her though, don't you."  
I almost got whiplash as his foot twitched on the brakes. He turned to face me.   
"Is it really that obvious?"  
"It is when you talk like that about her."  
He let out a large sigh and pointed to the backseat.  
"I have your clothes and things back there, I'm pretty sure that your parents would be shocked to find you in that."   
I looked down to see my legs clad in skintight V.P. I gave a bashful grin and climbed into the backseat to change. I peeled off the bodysuit, pulled on my white jeans and blue top, grabbed my sandals, and then climbed back up front. Jake was musing with his elbow against the window and his head cupped in his hand. I stared pointedly at him for about ten seconds before he twitched a little bit, sat up straight and continued to drive. We reached my house about five minutes later. I hopped out, waved goodbye, and walked inside, forgetting about the predicament that I was in.  
"SUSIE! Get in here now!"  
I hurried to the kitchen to find mom sitting at the table, with Father Dom.  
"What are you doing here!"  
He shifted uncomfortably and looked down.  
"Your behavior at school worried me and quite a few other teachers Susannah, I was simply discussing with your mother... "  
"YOU CUT SCHOOL!"  
I my head to face mom, she was silently, or not so silently, fuming.   
"What on earth drove you to cut school! Why would you do such a thing?"  
"Mom, I was helping Wraith..."   
"What kind of help does she need? Seeing how fast she can go in her hummer? Hmmmm? I ought to..."  
"MOM! Someone sent her a disgusting note! Some sick creep sent a single rose with a card that blamed her for the death of an old friend...asked if she heard the screaming ..."  
Mom turned white and just stared at me.  
"Someone did what? What are you talking about?"   
"Wraith had an old friend who was found murdered last year. Today, a delivery guy came with a single rose and a note that said that it was her fault he was dead and asking if she could hear him screaming. She ran out and I went with her, she really needed a friend, I didn't want to leave her alone." 


	10. chap 9

Okay, not exactly the truth, but if I told her that the person who had actually murdered said friend and then beat her up and kidnapped someone and tortured them just to get her back had written the note, it wouldn't exactly help moms frazzled brain.   
"That is absolutely horrible, how could someone do such a thing...Are you sure that's what happened?"  
"I read the note mom."  
Mom began to bite her nail and shake her head at the same time.  
"And all this after what happened with her parents, I can't even imagine what that child has to go through..."  
Father Dom glanced at Mom.   
"What is your mother talking about? What happened with her parents, I met Jack and Mae Costel, they seemed like fine people..."  
'Those are her adoptive parents Father. She was taken by social services when she was five because her father carved 'Freak' into her back."  
Father Dom went whiter than mom.   
'Surely not, maybe she's making it up...that could never happen..."  
"I saw the scar, father."  
"Would Wraith like to stay the night, she shouldn't be without a friend right now."   
I waved the thought away and smiled as I remembered as I thought of the conversation with Jake in the car.  
"No mom, she has Jake...she'll be fine."  
Mom looked a little confused at the mention of Jake, but she didn't push it. When mom excused herself from the table to walk Father Dom out, I went up to my room and plopped down on my bed, only to hear a knock a few minutes later.  
"Honey, may I come in?"  
"Yes!"  
I heard the door open, but I didn't lift my head up until I felt mom sit down on my bed.   
'Honey, this friend that was murdered, it must have been pretty bad for her to be that devastated about it...Do you know what happened?"  
I might as well tell her, it's not as if I could come up with some better story anyway.   
"He had asked her out, and on the night of their date, they found him...well, um...dismembered in his room with the words 'Mine Forever' written on his wall in blood. Apparently, some creep broke in and killed him."  
I didn't add the part where the creep is a supernatural bounty hunter who is now out to get her, but I don't think mom would take that too well. I saw her gasp.  
"Now, who is this Jake boy you mentioned, her brother?"  
"No, he's another adopted child. Though that's sort of like her brother, cause they have the same adoptive parents, and even if their not related by blood, that would kind of make them like me and Brad, except..."  
"Honey, you're babbling. Well, I would like to have Wraith come over again, she seemed like a very nice person...when she feels up to it, you can ask her over..."  
"Okay mom. I'll do that."  
  
The next day, I got to school in Brad's car-o-stink and ran to the morning assembly. I spotted Wraith almost immediately, she was with Adam and CeeCee...and Jake. Man, he enrolled fast! I walked over and sat down between Adam and Jake.   
"Hi everybody! How are you this morning?"   
I looked around and saw that Adam and CeeCee were teasing each other, but Adam pinched me in a sign of good health, and CeeCee gave a vigorous nod, so they were good. I turned to my other side and liked what I saw. Jake was sitting with his arm around Wraith's shoulder, (the one that wasn't shot with an arrow, duh.) and she was leaning heavily into him and they were holding hands. Wraith carefully disentangled her hand from Jake's and gave her salute before pointing behind me.  
"Their all better too."   
I turned around to see Paul walking towards us with, of all people, Artemis. Man, I must know Mae and Jack's secret of speed! Artemis strolled up and sat a row ahead of us. He then turned around and looked at Wraith.   
'How you holding up?"   
She gave a small thumbs up and put her head back on Jake's shoulder. He then turned to me. "And you? Do you need a little sexual healing?"  
OKAY? What the hell was that?  
"Suze, how is it you always know the new people before they come to school? What's your secret?"  
I looked at her sharply, and by the dawning comprehension in her eyes, she had gotten it. It was a very uncomfortable moment, but Adam, being Adam, lightened the mood.  
'So, Simon, introductions? Hurry, hurry. Must learn names."   
"That's Artemis, and that's Jake. Happy now?"  
He nodded enthusiastically and grinned. Father Dom started the whole morning assembly part of morning assembly and when it was done, we all walked to homeroom. I noticed that Jake was coming with.   
"You have our homeroom Jake?"  
"I have all Wraith's classes, so I think I have four of your classes. Lucky you."  
Wow, he is so cocky, but he's in love with a good friend of mine, so I'll deal. When got to the classroom, Jake physically moved a desk next to Wraith's usual seat. When the teacher came in, she looked at the new five person table, but she dismissed it and moved on. By the time lunch came around, I noticed that Jake and Wraith were over touchy, like if one wasn't touching the other in some way, they would both die. We were walking to our table in the courtyard when Wraith suddenly bodily fell into Jake. Surprisingly, he didn't fall as well, he simply looked very concerned and pulled her behind a pillar. I followed, of course. Jake had her with her back up against the pillar. She was moaning and clutching her shoulder. Jake carefully pulled her hand away and pulled on her sleeve, baring said shoulder. I saw a white bandage held in place by medicine tape. There was a dot of red appearing, growing continually.   
"Shit, it reopened. We need to wash it...Suze, do you know a place we could go and not be found?"  
"An empty classroom would work. I'll get a cup of water or something..."  
He nodded and pulled Wraith after me when I headed back inside. I found the most deserted hallway and put them in the last classroom, then ran off to buy a water bottle. Of course, being the master of timing, Paul stopped me.   
'What are you doing on this side of the school, Suze? Oh...I know, you're looking for me aren't you?"  
I rolled my eyes and attempted to push past him, but, again being Paul, he stopped me by grabbing my arm.   
"Now where do you think you're going?"   
"Away from you, now let me go Paul, I have things to do."   
Of course, he didn't let me go. I was really tempted to slug him, but let's face it, he'd most likely hit me back. With no warning, Paul began pulling me towards the empty classroom right next to us.   
'What are you doing Paul? Get off of me...Let me"  
I was immediately cut off by something. Unfortunately, that something was his lips. I immediately began to push and struggle, but he simply arranged his legs in a 'Can't be pushed away from the girl you are forcefully kissing' stance and continued. I was going to resort to a good knee in the family jewels, but it seemed I didn't have to.   
"Slater!"  
Paul immediately stepped back and I saw my savior was...Jake.   
"I believe she was struggling to get away. Isn't that generally a sign she's not interested?"   
He then turned to me.   
"I left Wraith in the classroom. We need that water. Shall we go?"  
He opened the door and ushered me out. We ran to the snack bar so we could get a bottle of water, and we hurried back. Wraith was lying on a table, with her shoulder still bare. The bandage was now half red, and the red was gradually taking over the white. Jake ran over and began to slowly peel off the bandage. There was a great rip in her flesh, and it was really oozing blood. I turned away and heard Jake give a sharp intake of breath and heard a flurry of movement.  
"This needs stitches immediately. Shit."  
I turned back to see him holding a white handkerchief to her wound. He was searching his pockets, and with a victorious 'Ha', he pulled out a needle and thick black thread. He then poured the water bottle contents onto the handkerchief, threaded the needle, and...yeah. You don't need to know what he did. When he was done though, he pulled another bandage and a roll of medical tape from another pocket and replaced the old and very bloody bandages. When that was done, he looked at his handkerchief, and I saw that it was hopelessly stained a bright red. He sighed, gathered up the needle, the old bandage and the handkerchief and threw them in the trash.  
"I'll replace that Jake, I swear."  
We both turned to see Wraith slowly sitting up on the table. She was wincing continually. Jake shook his head and rushed over to help her up.  
"There's no problem, you know that I have about twenty of them."   
Wraith chuckled but stopped and clutched her ribs. Jake slipped an arm under her armpit and assisted her from the classroom. When we got back to the courtyard, lunch was almost over. Of course, by now, Wraith needed to use the bathroom. And, also of course, Jake decided to wait by the door. So, there he was, casually leaning against the stone wall in his black jeans and black silk shirt, his blonde hair glinting in the sun....I must admit, if I didn't have Jesse, I would totally be crushing on him. He was just oozing a masculine sexuality, and I really couldn't blame Kelly for walking up to him and attempting to woo him with her 'feminine wiles'. She was doing the cute Little Miss Innocence pose. You know it, hands clasped behind her back, shoulders thrust forward, head cocked to the side, one ankle behind the other. I began to walk over, and I heard Kelly using the voice...I'm sure you know that too. 


	11. Chap 10

"So, Jake, you just came today, right? Well, being class president, I find it my duty to show you the school...Are you up for it?"  
"No thank you Kelly, I've got someone to show me the school."  
I joined the party about then. I got the 'You're my savior' look from Jake, and the exact opposite from Kelly. Apparently she thought that I was the person Jake was talking about.  
"Hi Suze, I was just introducing myself to Jake here? Do you know him?"  
Her eyes got scary and bulgy when I nodded, and they threatened to pop when Wraith walked out of the bathroom and slipped an arm around Jake's waist.   
"Having fun, J.Latt? New people, scary fun."  
J.Latt? What the hell is that?   
"I do wish you wouldn't call me that."   
"Hence the point of me calling you that."  
I was still confused, even more so by the fact that Wraith was looking at Kelly with venom...ooooh...this could get interesting...  
"So, Kelly, is there something you need?"   
She was staring at Wraith's hand in disbelief. She jerked a little, and then slowly stalked away. "Oooh Jake, she likes you."  
"Shut up. She's not my type."  
Wraith smiled a little and then Jake put his arm around her shoulders.   
"Now, haven't I told you about calling me J.Latt?"  
"Not to do it, but since when have I done what I'm told?"  
Jake raised his eyebrow at her, but she pulled away and turned to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.  
"What are you going to do if I call you that again?"  
He smirked and put his hands on his hips.   
'I'd have to teach you a lesson."  
"Right...J.Latt."   
With a start, they both took off running. I heard Wraith laughing maniacally as she shoved through the crowd. I followed, and when I reached the table where Ceecee and Adam were sitting, also enjoying the show, Wraith decided to join us. She stopped abruptly ten feet from the table, but Jake wasn't as quick about it. He skidded to the ground, and his leg hit Wraith in the ankles, taking her down with him. There was a large oof sound and then I leaned over to see Wraith sprawled on the ground, with Jake under her. With a groan, she sat up, and then turned around so she could straddle him. He didn't look too downtrodden about it, if you know what I mean. They were both breathing hard, and Wraith moved out of the straddling position to full out lay on him.  
"I won."  
Jake chuckled, lifted his arms, hugged her, and then simply said,  
"For now."   
When they had stopped laying with each other and panting on the ground, Jake helped Wraith stand up, only to have her collapse on his lap at the table. I remembered mom now, so I asked Wraith if she wanted to come over. Jake answered for her.  
"Maybe tomorrow...We need to get home and see to a few things."  
He looked at me cryptically and then put his arm on her shoulder, her injured one. Oh yeah. I nodded and then heard the big clock chime one. Time to go back to class, damn.  
  
Jake's POV  
When Wraith and I got back to the manor, Jack instantly smoked in.  
"I believe the wound opened up at school?"  
I nodded, not even caring that he had probably done a mind whammy on me to get that information from me. I was used to it by now.   
"We'll need to do a healing ritual...You wouldn't mind sitting with her again tonight would you? In case it opens up, because we'll need to take out the stitches."   
I nodded again and we walked up the left staircase to Wraith's room. When I opened the door for her to go in, I was over taken by the colors. Her room is decorated in the colors of the ocean. Her walls are deep blue, her carpet is a royal purple, and her bed is black with sea green canopy bed curtains. She walked over to the bed and sat down, while I sat down in the large seat she had put right next to her bed, just for me. You have no idea how happy that made me when she first got it. Wraith laid down and Jack stood by her, holding his hand out over her shoulder. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, and as I watched, the stitches I had done earlier that day were carefully cut and began to pull out. I saw her wince, and I knew that it was causing her a lot of pain. Once that was done, muscles began to twitch around the wound, and tendons of flesh began to rapidly grow and cover the hole left by the arrow. When Jack was done, it was closed, but I still had to sit with her in case it opened back up again while she slept, so she wouldn't bleed to death. Jack nodded at me and then left the room. Wraith was in a semi comatose state, which sometimes happens after a healing, it's natural and comes from having an outside force change the body's healing process. I slumped back in my chair and sat staring at her as she lay there...Don't think that I'm some kind of psychotic freak, I simply enjoyed watching her sleep. It's one of the only times she looks peaceful, which makes sense considering what she's been put through in her life. I just sat there like that for about twenty minutes, until she came to. She suddenly just opened her eyes, turned her head to me, and asked how long she was out. I told her the approximate time, (22 minutes, 49 seconds...Hey, I don't have much else to do, Do I?) She groaned and stood up, and I followed suit. 


	12. Chap 11

She walked out of her room, down the staircase, up the other staircase, and into the combat room. This was a room done in pure white with padding on the walls and mats on the floor. She walked to the side, walked through a padded door, and walked into the weapons room. I waited patiently until she came back with two of our training swords. She threw one to me and then fell into combat position. I did the same, but not before turning on the stereo that's built into one of the walls. (Hey, if it were on the floor, we could trip over it, not a smart thing to do with a sword and or crossbow.) It was playing a loud alternative rock mix...perfect for sword training. I started with a simple blow towards the chest, she blocked it easily. She countered with a downward slash that would lodge itself in my shoulder if I didn't know how to block it. I started to move to the left, she countered by spinning to the left and making an attempt at my stomach, I blocked and knocked her sword away, but she recovered quickly and before long we were training heavily. There was a particular low swipe from her, down near the ankles, and when I jumped over her blade, she swung it right up and put the tip to my jugular. A perfect and un-escapable move. I stabbed my sword into the mat underneath me and began the golf clap. She smiled a little and then grabbed my sword and headed back to the weapons room to put them away properly. When she came back, I was lying on the floor. She immediately fell down next to me. I curled an arm around her and felt her breathing hard. "You're getting better. Soon, you'll be able to beat me a lot easier. Me and my obsolete self." She laughed and nuzzled her head onto my chest. I could feel her shake her head. We stayed like that for about a minute before I got up, offering her a hand to help her. Like always, she took it, and we went back to her room. She gave me the familiar parting peck and then headed immediately to her bathroom, while I simply plucked a book from her bookcase, sat down in my chair and began to read. Twenty minutes later, she walked back out wearing her black silk nightgown with her hair down and wet. She walked over and climbed into her bed, pulling back the black comforter, only to reveal black silk sheets. When she had become comfortable, she yawned and asked,  
  
"Are you sitting with me tonight?" I nodded and turned the page. "Oh, yay...That's always good. That makes it easier for me to wake up in the middle of the night and rape you." I almost dropped my on, would you be able to keep a firm grasp on a stupid book when the love of your life said that to you? "Um, excuse me?" She chuckled and corrected the book in my hands. "I was kidding...But it is a bit funny to see you attempting to sleep in that chair. It's comfortable, but not that comfortable. I don't know why you don't just hop in bed with me." I felt myself turn a bit red at that. I mean, I have self control, but can any guy really control himself enough not to try anything? I thought not. "I don't really need you to sit with me tonight babe, I think Jack did a good enough job." Damn, I was really hoping to sit in on her with her permission tonight. What? Okay, I know pathetic...but can you blame me? "You really think so huh? So, if you bleed to death tonight...We can blame you?" I got up out of the chair and was about to walk out, but she grabbed my hand. "Jake, don't be like that, I just don't want to see you walking funny tomorrow because you slept in that damn chair." Oh, she had me there. Damn. I turned back around and leaned down for a kiss. "Okay...that's true, but just don't die okay?" She nodded and we gave the customary peck, and I was pulling away when she squeezed my hand. I stopped and looked at her. There was an odd look on her face, one I had never seen before. "Jake...It's just, well...I..." She was looking away, but with no warning, her arm jumped from the bed, curled around my neck, and pulled my lips to hers. I felt an electric shiver go down my spine...this must be a dream, it was simply not possible, but it felt so real... She let go suddenly and turned her head away. I saw a very shocked look on her face. I pinched myself, and it hurt...a lot. I had always thought that I would be the one to do that... "I'm sorry Jake..."  
  
I put my hand to her cheek, turned her head back towards me, looked deep into those amazing eyes, and said "For what?!" I saw pure joy spark in her eyes, but I didn't continue looking long enough to revel in it, because her arm went back around my neck and pulled me in. I felt myself sit on her bed, but I know that I no longer controlled my body, my soul had curled up in my brain and was having a little party. I put my hand on her lower back and pulled her closer to me, the electric shivers on my spine extending through my whole body. Her lips on mine...it was just an extraordinary feeling that I had never known to this extent, there was the customary peck at our every parting, but this was worlds different, and the most amazing feeling I had ever experienced. I ran a hand through her hair and then put my hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer as I laid down beside her. She pulled away and began to breathe heavily. I then realized that I hadn't taken a breath since I had sat down, and I began to breathe again as well. The air tasted better, colors seemed brighter, everything was magnified in beauty a hundred thousand times brighter simply because she had kissed me...If this wasn't love then I don't know what is. I looked at her and she was grinning like a fool, which I suppose I was too. She leaned her forehead against mine and I looked at her eyes, they were brimming with tears. "What's wrong?" She shook her head a little and looked up at me. "That's just it, nothing could ever be better." A tear swam down her cheek and I kissed it away, she laughed a little and huddled closer to me. "There's no way you're walking out that door without a fight, you do know that?" I raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly would you stop me?"  
  
She smiled a little before tilting her chin forward and saying,  
  
"Like this..." 


	13. Chap 12

With that, she kissed me again. Oh, how wonderful life is that I can be here in Ly's bed kissing her without being a rapist...That sounded a bit odd, but you get my meaning. I must admit though, her way of keeping me here was working amazingly well. We didn't break away for a while, and when we did, Ly just nuzzled her head in my neck and fell asleep, smiling softly. I stayed awake a little longer, simply staring at her serene face. When I did finally fall asleep, she was cradled in my life be any better?  
  
Suze's POV I woke up early the next morning...Imagine that. I was downstairs by 7:00, which is odd considering school doesn't start until eight and I usually wake up at about 7:45. I was calmly eating a bagel in a black skirt and a simple red top when Brad came down. He slouched in, opened up the fridge and was in the process of rooting through the fridge when he froze and slowly turned to me.  
"Suze?"  
I nodded and he cocked my head at me.  
"What are you doing down here?"  
"I woke up about twenty minutes ago Brad, close your mouth, your drooling on yourself."  
He glared at me and then turned back to the fridge. When he had grabbed the jam and butter, he put two pieces of bread in the toaster. When they popped out, he covered them in the butter and strawberry jam and began stuffing it in his mouth. I finished my bagel and ran up to my room. No way was I going to watch Brad eat unless I had to. Jesse was there when I walked in.  
  
"You're up early, Querida."  
I nodded as I began picking through my room for a book I had to take to the library. I found it under my bed. Go figure. When I had slipped it into my bag, I prepared to go back downstairs. "Susannah, you are very quiet? Is something wrong?"  
I hadn't realized how quiet I was being. I turned back to Jesse, he was sitting on his window seat and petting Spike.  
"Sorry, not very talkative at 7:00 in the morning. Just a law of nature."  
He smiled a little before nodding and opening a book. I smiled back and then went out the door. When I got downstairs and looked at the clock, it said 7:17. Great, now I'll just laze around the house until 7:50. I sat down in front of the T.V. and flipped it to MTV. They were showing music videos, and there was a good one on, so I watched it and then changed it when it ended and Jessica Simpson came on. No offense to Jessica Simpson...Oh, wait. Much offense to Jessica Simpson. I turned to the news to see a story on some girl who had been found in the ocean. Apparently she had been raped and murdered. "Oh great, now she's going to come to me." They showed a picture of the girl, she was pretty. She was Latino and had dark brown hair to her shoulders and honey brown almond shaped eyes. Just as they were moving on to the weather, the same girl shimmered into being right next to the T.V. She looked a little worse for wear, but that's understandable, considering that she's dead. How did I know she would come to me?  
"Can you help me?"  
I nodded and motioned for her to follow me. I went up to my room and closed the door behind her.   
"Susannah, who is this?"  
The girl looked down a little before answering.  
  
"I'm Jessica Pascone."  
Jesse nodded and then held out his hand.  
  
"I am Hector De Silva, but you can call me Jesse."  
"Hello Jesse."  
The girl turned back to me.  
"Now, Jessica, do you know what's keeping you here? Did you have any unfinished business? Something you needed to tell someone?"  
She looked as if she was pondering for a moment, but she answered relatively quickly compared to some of the ghosts that I've handled.  
"I need to let David know that I love him."  
"Kay, and David is?"   
She sat down on the bed and started crying.  
"David Thornebaul is my...was my boyfriend. I was going to meet him when that guy jumped out of the alley..."  
She started sobbing even harder.   
"I was going to tell him that I wanted to get married after graduation..."  
I sat down and tried to comfort her, but I had a time limit  
"Suze! Let's go!" I stood up and smoothed my skirt.  
"I'm sorry Jessica, but I have to go to school. Just stay here with Jesse and I'll try to help you after school."  
Oh, I am so glad that it's Friday.  
  
When I got to school, Wraith and Jake were just pulling up on her bike. They got off, removed their helmets, chained them to the bike, and walked over.  
"Hiya Suze. How are you today?"  
"Hi Jake, Wraith. I'm fine."  
I observed them more closely, they both seemed extremely happy. I raised an eyebrow at them, but they simply looked at me oddly and we walked inside. When classes began, Jake and Wraith went to their seats, but Wraith began to lean on Jake the second she sat down. It seemed extremely awkward, but neither of them seemed to mind. They were both grinning like idiots. I walked over and sat down in the desk right in front of Wraith.   
"Okay, something is up. What is it?" 


	14. Chap 13

Jake just glanced at Wraith, and it clicked. Oh hell yeah! That is so great! I started doing a little jig in my seat, earning an amused snort from Wraith. The teacher gave me an odd look, but that's about it from the rest of the room. Homeroom was boring, as was English lit after that, and then gym, and then geography, and then algebra, and so on and so forth, but it was the beginning of the weekend, so that was good. When school ended for the day, Wraith and Jake were waiting at my locker. This was beginning to fall into a schedule.   
"So, are we still coming over tonight Suze?"  
Oh yeah, huh. I had asked them to come over.   
"Yeah Jake, you guys are still coming over."  
I looked him over...Mom might be a little surprised to see him at our house. He was wearing a silk shirt, ( Him and those silk shirts...not that anyone of the female populace is complaining.) And black straight leg slacks. He looked classy casual in his all black attire. His white blonde hair was shining and he seemed to have the same affinity for wearing gloves that Wraith did. I shook the thought of moms reaction to him from my mind as we walked outside. I then remembered that usually I rode home either with Brad or on Wraith's bike, but Brad had already left, and only two people would fit on the bike. Just then, Adam pulled up beside me.   
"Need a ride home, Suze?"  
I looked at Wraith and Jake. They both nodded and I hopped into Adam's car.I am so lucky. "So, to your house we go, eh?"  
I nodded and smiled a little. CeeCee and I are supposed to be making him normal, as you can probably tell, we are failing miserably. We pulled up at my house ten minutes later. When Wraith and Jake pulled up behind us, Adam swiveled around in his seat to look at them.  
"Are they stalking us Suze? Let's pull away...very quickly so we have a good head start...and go to New Mexico!"  
I shook my head at him and hopped out of the car. Wraith and Jake had already chained up their helmets, and they were waiting patiently I waved goodbye to Adam and walked with them into the house. Once we entered, I immediately led them up to my room. Jesse and Jessica were there already.   
"Hello Susannah. Are you ready to help Jessica now?"   
Wraith and Jake sat down on my bed as I nodded at him. What is it with me and nodding today? Why am I so quiet?  
"Hi Jessica. I'm Wraith and this is Jake."  
I turned to see Jessica smiling at them. Jesse looked oddly at Jake for a moment, but he seemed to let it go, because he simply turned back at Jessica.  
"So, you don't know how we could tell him your message without him getting suspicious? That could be a problem for Susannah."  
I saw Wraith and Jake look at each other and smile mischievously.   
"So, you need to tell a guy something, but he'll get uber suspicious if some girl he's never met in his life walks up and gives him the message...Is he superstitious?"  
Jessica nodded heartily and wiped a tear from her cheek.   
"He has always been very interested in the paranormal and supernatural."  
Jake raised an eyebrow at Wraith before asking,  
"Does he believe in angels?"  
I think I was starting to get it...I sort of smiled as Jessica nodded and Wraith turned to me. "Suze, do you have a white dress?"  
I grinned heartily, because this seemed like it was going to be a good plan. I showed her a simple ankle length dress that I had for some special occasion I would never go to. She went to the bathroom and put it on, and I almost gasped when she came back out. She looked amazing in white, and I have no clue why she didn't wear it more often. Judging by the look on Jake's face, he didn't see her in white much either.  
"okay Jessica, where does your boyfriend live?"  
Jessica was opening her mouth to answer when Wraith shook her head.   
'Never mind, just grab my hand."  
She did just that and then Wraith closed her eyes. A moment later, they flurried back open and she looked at Jessica.   
"Do you want to be there? Because if you do, you'll have to go to his room now."  
She smiled back and then disappeared. Wrath turned to us, smiled mischievously, gave her salute, and smoked away.  
  
David's POV  
I was lying in my room, reading a book and moping. I was thinking about how Jess had been coming to meet me when that monster had grabbed her and killed her. She had called me, and she sounded so excited, like her dreams had come true. I sighed and threw my book off my bed. There was no point in trying to read now. That was all I thought about lately...I rolled onto my side and attempted to fall asleep when I heard a soft female voice.  
"David Thornebaul?"  
I sat up and looked around. I spotted a beautiful girl in the corner wearing a white dress, and she looked like she was glowing.   
"Who are you? How did you get in here? I'll call the police..."  
She smiled serenely at me and stepped forward.  
"You have no reason to be afraid of me, David. I have a message for you."   
When she spoke, it sounded like she was crying, laughing, whispering and singing, all at the same time...She was like an angel...AN ANGEL!  
"Are you an angel?"  
She nodded slowly and took another step forward.  
"Jessica wants you to know that it's not your fault."  
Her message was from Jess! I stood up quickly and leaned forward eagerly.   
"What does she mean? Does she mean when she was coming to meet me?"  
She nodded and I looked in her eyes. They were the most amazing blue I had ever seen. She must be an angel...No mere mortal could have those eyes.  
"It is no one's fault except the man who did it to her. She loves you, and she misses you...But you'll be seeing her again."   
I felt my eyes fill with tears, and I thought I saw Jess standing beside her. She was crying and looking at me with love in her eyes. When she saw me looking at her, she lifted her hand towards me, I did the same, and I felt her hand grab mine. She mouthed the words 'I love you', and the angel disappeared into smoke. Jess went with her. I stood there for a few moments, but when I felt tears sliding down my cheeks, I started to wipe them away, but stopped with my hand inches from my face. They were Jess's tears, and I didn't want to get rid of them.  
  
Suze's POV  
When Wraith smoked back into the room, Jessica wasn't with her. She was smiling like a fool and she had tears in her eyes. "He wouldn't wipe away his tears because she caused them...I smoked behind him and scanned his thoughts to see if he bought it...He was able to see Jessica!" She shook her head and sat down.   
"If that isn't romantic then I don't know what is."  
Jake wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Jesse was looking at them with an odd look on his face, but he turned back to me quickly and said,  
"So, Susannah, who is this?"  
Jake offered a hand to him and said enthusiastically,  
"Jacob Michael Lattmore, at your service."  
So that's what's with the J.Latt thing! Jesse shook his hand, (Still giving him an odd look.) and said,  
'Hector De Silva, but you can call me Jesse."  
Jake smiled at him and then curled his arm back around Wraith. We sat in silence for about five minutes before I heard someone downstairs, yelling through the house.   
"Hey! I'm home in case anybody cares!"   
It was mom. 


End file.
